TECHNICAL TIPS

N8 LOSS OF BRAKING EFFICIENCY

SPONGY PEDAL FEEL

Spongy pedal feel is the experience where upon depressing the brake pedal, the brake is slow to respond, and the pedal feels spongy so er than it should be, with excessive force required to decelerate the vehicle and excessive stroke of the pedal.

WHAT CAUSES SPONGY PEDAL FEEL AND HOW CAN YOU FIX IT?

Faulty brake hoses can cause brake uid leaks, or ballooning of the hose itself which in turn means a poor brake pedal response.
1. AGING

During the life of a brake hose, it is subjected to di erent working conditions that could cause performance degradation or aging. The brake hose is composed of 3 elements: a cover made of vulcanized rubber, a synthetic bre reinforcement braid, and a vulcanized rubber inner tube.
A A B C D B C D

Inner rubber tube First reinforcement braid Second reinforcement braid Hose cover

BRAKE HOSE

The aging process can act di erently on di erent parts of the hose.
> The cover is a ected by contact with external agents such as liquids, gases and heat

radiation. Weather aging too has an impact, especially during cold winters when salt is spread on the road in large quantities. > The bre reinforcement can be a ected by thermal degradation (or heat damage). > The inner tube can be a ected by both thermal degradation and contact degradation due to the chemical aggressiveness of the brake uid. Heat and chemical attack on any of the elements of the brake hose will result in cracking or splitting, which in turn means restricted uid ow and poor brake response.

TECHNICAL TIPS

2. FAULTY FITMENT

During installation it is easy to damage the hose through a variety of actions: > Twisting

> Forced bending of the hose

> Contact of the exterior of the hose with uid, mineral oil or grease > Incorrect torque value

The metal tting should be tightened to a torque value of between 13 and 20 Nm. Damage or leaks can be the result if the torque is too high or low. > Ensure when tting a hose that there is no contact with steering or braking parts. While it can appear free with the vehicle on the li , lowering the vehicle to the ground can alter the suspension position. Always conduct a secondary check on hose placement once the vehicle has been fully lowered. Turn the steering wheel to the lock position (le and right sides) to ensure no contact occurs.

HOW TO AVOID FAULTY BRAKE HOSES

1. AGING
> Checks of exible brake hoses should be a standard procedure. Brake hoses are an inexpensive > To ensure the maximum e ciency of the brake system and maintain safe and reliable performance,

component, but can have a serious impact on safety for any driver.

exible brake hoses should be checked at regular intervals for chang, cuts, general deterioration and leakage. > Some vehicle manufacturers recommend replacing hoses a er 30,000 miles or at least every 5 years, however hoses should be checked during every service.
2. FITMENT
> Ensure that during tment brake hoses are not bent or twisted. > Ensure correct tightening torque is applied during tment. > Ensure there is no contact between hoses and suspension components once vehicle has been lowered.

3. CHOOSE ONLY GOOD QUALITY BRAKE HOSES WHICH SHOULD SHOW THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES:
> > > > > >

High resistance to the atmospheric conditions High resistance to sudden temperature changes Good exibility and dynamic resistance High compatibility with the brake uids used in the applications concerned Low moisture permeability Low volumetric expansion under pressure

Ferodo o ers a comprehensive range of high quality brake hoses. The part number structure is FHY1234. WITH FERODO, YOURE IN CONTROL
PRMFE1131-UK

The Ferodo brand is a registered trademark of